As the demand for group tours in the Chinese-speaking regions grows, Jeju’s air routes are expanding further.

According to the Jeju travel industry, from April 14th, Spring Airlines will increase its Jeju-Shanghai route to 25 weekly round trips by adding four additional flights a week.

Starting May 1st, Juneyao Airlines will also add flights to their Jeju-Shanghai route, expanding it to 14 weekly round trips with seven additional flights per week.

With these expansions, the Jeju-Shanghai route alone will operate 58 times per week.

In addition, Jeju Air will increase its Jeju-Beijing route from 13 to 17 weekly flights starting April 24th.

Other routes connecting Jeju with various cities in China like Shenzhen, Nanchang, and Xi’an have also been confirmed to start operating by the end of April, in anticipation of the May Day holiday, marking a significant increase in group tourism from China.

The current or announced major routes between Jeju and China include Beijing (17 weekly flights), Shanghai (58 weekly flights), Shenyang (2 weekly flights), Nanjing (11 weekly flights), Ningbo (7 weekly flights), Hangzhou (12 weekly flights), Shenzhen (3 weekly flights), Zhengzhou (2 weekly flights), Fuzhou (2 weekly flights), Nanchang (2 weekly flights), Xi’an (2 weekly flights), Hong Kong (6 weekly flights), and Macau (2 weekly flights), totaling 126 weekly flights.

Adding the existing international routes to Japan’s Osaka (7 weekly flights), Taiwan (19 weekly flights), and Singapore (5 weekly flights), the total reaches 157 weekly flights, nearing the pre-COVID level of over 170 weekly flights.

Lotte Tour Development is currently operating a marketing office in Osaka, Japan, and with the increasing likelihood of a new direct flight route from Tokyo to Jeju in June, the company is pushing forward with the establishment of an office in Tokyo.

The international cruise industry is also set to contribute significantly to Jeju’s tourism market recovery, with 31 ships from 21 companies scheduled to make 146 and 167 stops at Jeju Port and Seogwipo Port respectively. The increase in international flight operations and cruise stops is expected to facilitate the resumption of group tours for international tourists, leading to a steep recovery in Jeju's tourism market.

In connection with this, the Jeju Provincial Government and the Jeju Tourism Organization recently discussed strengthening exchanges focused on the tourism industry with Shandong Province, a major economic region in China.

Looking ahead, the resumption of direct flights between Jeju and Shandong Province, along with the expansion of cruise routes, is anticipated. Various new tourism products are also being planned to enhance visitor satisfaction, extend stay durations, and increase spending by tourists visiting Jeju.